


hundred-yen coin

by aninsidejoke (speakingincode)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Feelings Realization, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Yamaguchi-centric, sometimes your friend gives you a dollar and you realize you're in love with them and that's valid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:08:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25907848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/speakingincode/pseuds/aninsidejoke
Summary: Tsukishima lends Yamaguchi change for a drink from the vending machine. Yamaguchi realizes he's in love with him.
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 14
Kudos: 148





	hundred-yen coin

**Author's Note:**

> this was written almost a year ago, from when i was taking drabble requests! the prompt was tsukkiyama + spare change.

When it happens, the first thing Tadashi thinks is that he’s going to die, and then that it should have happened sooner.

It makes sense in a way that makes him embarrassed. It’s true that he started hanging around Tsukishima when they were younger because he was really cool, and the exact kind of guy he wished he was. Looking back on it, there probably wasn’t anything behind it, because he didn’t start caring about things like that until recently, and only really caring right now, but the way it is now is…

Well. Whatever’s behind it, it’s not the only reason he still sticks around Tsukishima. It’s— Tadashi doesn’t think he needs a reason, not when it’s Tsukishima, because you’d probably ask the question the other way around considering the kind of guy Tsukishima is and the kind of guy he is, but if he had to give a reason, it’d be something like – because he’s so cool, still, but also that he’s really funny, even if sometimes Tadashi feels bad about laughing at the things he says, and that he’s also really nice. Only when other people aren’t paying attention, and in little ways he thinks Tsukishima hopes he isn’t thinking too hard about, but that’s kind of funny, also, because Tadashi doesn’t need to think hard about it to know things like that. If it’s Tsukishima, of course he’ll know.

So that, at least, is normal. Hanging out with Tsukishima so much because he’s funny and nice and watching him go makes Tadashi want to get stronger. But… the way Tadashi always feels a little bit off when they’re in the same room and they’re not standing next to each other. How he gets so offended whenever Hinata or Kageyama or anybody asks what he likes Tsukishima so much for. It isn’t— strange, to him, that he’d feel like that, because of course he would, but it also… isn’t normal, maybe. Probably definitely. He… really should have realized sooner.

And that it’s so— uncool, too, the way it happens. Or maybe not uncool, because it’s enough to move Tadashi when nothing has until now, but there are a dozen other times, Tadashi thinks, that would have made more sense than this. Any of those amazing blocks he did, or the time Tadashi got overexcited and grabbed him by the collar at training camp and he smiled really wide after, or— anything other than this.

But instead of anything else, it’s Tadashi, standing alone by the vending machine and realizing he didn’t look closely enough at the coins he scrounged up from the depths of his schoolbag, and Tsukishima, suddenly leaning over his shoulder to read the number on the vending machine, and then saying, “You didn’t bring enough money, Yamaguchi?”

Or it’s not that, exactly, because it would be really weird for Tadashi to realize he’s in love over Tsukishima chiding him, but then Tsukishima digs into his uniform pocket and pulls out a handful of coins. And then, carefully, he picks out a hundred-yen coin, and as he presses it into Tadashi’s palm, their fingers brush.

It’s not the first time Tadashi’s ever touched him, which is more than a fact, because when they were kids he used to hug him until that got embarrassing, and even now he pats him on the back every now and then when he thinks he’s upset, even though most of the time that just irritates him more, but it— it isn’t really just touching him, maybe. Touching is most of it, probably, but it’s also Tsukishima just appearing behind him, and then knowing exactly how much money he needs, and then just giving it to him, without Tadashi even asking.

It’s a lot, is what Tadashi thinks, because it’s also not the first time Tsukishima’s ever been considerate, because if it was he wouldn’t be so insistent about him being nice all the time. But Tsukishima is being _considerate_ , and his skin was rough against Tadashi’s palm that now won’t stop tingling, and also, Tadashi thinks he can see something different in his face out in the light of sunset.

So maybe Tadashi was wrong before, about how it’s weird or lame or too simple. Well, it is still lame, he thinks, but it’s also really, really something, and the inside of his chest feels like it’s exploding, so—

“What’s wrong? It’s not enough change? You’re getting barley tea, aren’t you?”

Immediately, Tadashi is snapped back to where he is, and all he can see is Tsukishima, mouth turned down in a little pout as he digs through his pocket again, and the only words that can make it past Tadashi’s lips are “I like you.”

It takes a minute. It takes a minute, and then Tadashi processes the words just as Tsukishima does, and Tsukishima’s face floods red as he turns away and says, “I… know. You don’t have to tell me. It’s only a hundred yen.”

Relief washes over Tadashi before he has time to break down over what he almost admitted, and as he looks at Tsukishima and his red cheeks, the feeling in his chest softens into something heavy and warm that seeps into his entire body. Rubbing the back of his neck, he grins at Tsukishima, maybe too widely, and lies, “Just wanted to make sure, Tsukki!”

Tsukishima doesn’t answer, just blushes deeper, and Tadashi decides to have mercy on him and turns back to the vending machine. They spend the rest of the time there just listening to the whirring of the machine, but when they’re heading towards the school gates, cold can of tea in Tadashi’s hand, Tsukishima says something else. “Yamaguchi, I—”

“Huh?”

“I like you, too,” Tsukishima says, still unable to look at him. “I wouldn’t have stayed friends with you so long if I didn’t.”

Tadashi knows already, by then, but those words from Tsukishima’s mouth, the ones he never doubted for a second, and the way he can hear his heartbeat ringing through his ears – it feels like falling in love again.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed it! i'm on [twitter](https://twitter.com/jailsgrr) if you need anything.


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